Brandon Maggiore

Maggiore 1 Brandon MaggioreEnglish 1001.98Melissa Trosclair DiaglePosition EssayThe Scandalous Charlie HustleThe National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Cooperstown, New York. A shrine to baseballs greatest players, the Hall of Fame is committed to preserving and promoting the education of baseball history. The best of the best baseball players are celebrated here through artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia. Such remarkable players include Mickey Mantle, Ty Cobb, Nolan Ryan, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, and the Great Bambino himself, Babe Ruth. But how come Pete Rose is not resting comfortably in the throne of the Hall of Fame? The Hall is a place where America honors its greatest baseball players, of which Rose is one.Pete Rose played the game harder than arguably any player in history, and his hit record alone promotes his induction into Cooperstown. Although, many people disagree with initiating Charlie Hustle (nickname) into the Hall because of what he has done in the past. When Pete Rose left the Montreal Expos in 1984 to become the manager for the Cincinnati reds, he developed a gambling addiction. Not only did he bet on NFL games and professional basketball games, but he also bet on his own team. On March 20, 1989, the Major League Baseball Commissioners Office announced that Rose was under investigation after the received Dowd reports linked him to gambling. Mr. John M. Dowd, a life-long baseball fan, served as Special Counsel to the Commissioner of Baseball in the 1989 investigations of Pete Rose. On August 24, 1989, Rose was banned from baseball for gambling, and he agreed to the ban because he could apply for reinstatement after one year (timeline). There is one rule that exists and appears in every clubhouse and every ballpark, all the way down to the minor leagues. The rule states that, Thou shall not bet on baseball, especially a game in which you have a duty. Anyone who violates this rule should be permanently ineligible (Garber, 3). Baseball is no stranger to cheating. As Thomas Boswell, a famous Washington Post writer, once said, Cheating is baseballs oldest profession. No other game is so much in skullduggery, so suited to it or so proud of it (More Views). Will Mark McGuire not be elected into the Hall of Fame because he took steroids, which no doubt aided his home run-record breaking seasons? Should Sammy Sosa not be elected into the Hall because he juiced up on steroids, not to mention he cheated and got caught using a corked bat? Certainly, Barry Bonds should not be considered for the Hall of Fame for his steroid-inflated stats, right? Pete Rose could have attempted to alter the outcome of games to win his bets, but not nearly as much as other cheaters involved in the game. Consider the aspect of someone bulging out of their uniform, unable to turn his neck around because he has been sticking a needle in his ass for the last five years. Pete Rose never did anything of this matter to help him win games and break records.Pete Rose was an extremely accomplished baseball player. He broke several records, including Ty Cobbs record for most career hits (Rose). Rose holds the all-time Major League record for most career hits, most games played, and most at bats. His lifetime stats go above and beyond many of those who are represented in Cooperstown. So what if he gambled; it was off the field. Rose should be allowed into the Hall of Fame for what he did between the lines of the baseball diamond. The man should be given his rightful place among the greats of the game; as a tribute for getting more hits than any other player in the history of the game. He has earned that much.Even former players agree with including Pete into the Hall. Retired Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. said, The issue about whether Roses career should be celebrated in the Hall of Fame, I think absolutely. Hes the all-time hit leader, his accomplishments are as great as anyone whos ever played the game. And so if you think about the Hall of Fame in a way that celebrates the history of baseball, he certainly should be celebrated in the Hall of Fame. Ripken was less sure on whether Rose should return to a career in baseball; Thats an issue that somebody will have to decide, but as far as the Hall of Fame, you know, hes the all-time hit leader, he should be there (Tindall). Spokesmen Bill Lee once admitted that he disliked Rose, saying at one point, Hes a pain in the ass, but hes the greatest two-strike hitter I ever saw. Hes got the numbers. Hes the kind of guy you hate, but if you were putting together a team, youd draft him. Another former baseball player, Hank Aaron, concluded that Rose deserves to have his plaque be put into Cooperstown. Hes been punished long enough (Garber, 4). I am in no way advocating that what Rose did was morally right or legal by baseball standards. Rose gambled on baseball, which is against the rules, and he got caught. What I am saying is that gambling aside, Rose, as a player, and the stats he accomplished as a player, belong in the Hall of Fame. Even when his gambling problem is considered, Rose should still be allowed in the Hall of Fame, along with the numerous other cheaters and rule-breakers who are already there. Shoeless Joe Jackson is celebrated in the Hall of Fame but should he be? He was one of the eight players involved in the 1919 Black Sox scandal of fixing the World Series by gambling.If you do not agree that Rose should be reinstated into baseball and inducted into the Hall of Fame for the above reasons, consider this let the man in the Hall so he can shut up already. By continuously commenting on the subject, he is laughing all the way to the bank because Major League Baseball is playing right into Roses hands. Book deals, talk shows, radio shows, card shows, autograph signings you name it, he is doing it. He would not have nearly this much attention if Major League Baseball just stuck to its guns and allowed Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame. Attorney Johnnie Cochran once said, Without Peter Edward Rose, the Baseball Hall of Fame will remain the Hall of Shame (Garber, 3). Pete Rose may have an attitude problem, but he is celebrated as one of the games greatest players and has been embraced by fans throughout his twenty four-year career. Now it is time to bring Pete Rose home home to the Hall of Fame.

WORKS CITED* Bock, Hal. Pete Rose and the Scarlet letter. The Associated Press 7 Jan. 2003.* Dowd, John M. Biography. DowdReport.com 24 Aug. 1989. 20 Nov. 2004. .* Garber, Greg. Rose jury: Let him in. ESPN.com 17 July 2003. 9 Nov. 2004. .* Lee, Martin. Pete Rose: Hall Of Fame YES, Baseball NO. SFDugout.com 29 July 2003. 9 Nov. 2004. .

* More Views. 9 Nov. 2004. .

* No Rose, but former Blue Jays slugger Carter voted in. The Associated Press 24 Feb.

2003.

* Rose, Pete. The World Book Encyclopedia. Vol 6, 1989.

* Should Pete Rose Be in the Hall of Fame? 9 Nov. 2004. .

* A timeline of historic events in the life of Pete Rose. 9 Nov. 2004.

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* Tindall, Jeff. Cal Ripken: Put Pete in the Hall. Cincinnati Enquirer 7 Jan. 2003.